Jordan Shimmell to fight for USBA title on Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC Sports Network

Jordan Shimmell, 19-0 with 16 KOs, will be fighting on the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) show televised by the NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) on Saturday, July 25, 2015 at the Pearl Theater, Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada. Jordan will be fighting for the vacant USBA cruiserweight title on the televised co-main event. Jordan’s opponent is another Michigan boxer, Isiah Thomas, who is 14-0 with 6 KOs.

Jordan Shimmell and Isiah Thomas boxed each other once as junior boxers and Jordan lost a decision. Jordan has been looking forward to a rematch for many years. Now the time has come when the two undefeated cruiserweights will meet in the pro ranks for the USBA title. The two boxers were both excellent amateurs with Jordan winning 4 National Junior Championships including the 2005 National Junior Olympics at 201 pounds while Isiah also won multiple National Junior Championships including the 2005 National Junior Olympics at 189 pounds. Isiah went on to win the 2005 World Cadet Championships at the heaviest weight contested – 189 pounds while Jordan had to stay home as his weight class did not compete in the world tournament. In the open division (17-34) Jordan won a record setting 7 Michigan Golden Gloves State Open Class Championships and boxed in 7 National Golden Gloves tournaments capturing the National title in 2009 and taking 2nd in 2006, 2010, and 2012 and 3rd in 2008 and 2011. Jordan won a total of 5 open class national/international championships: the Midwestern Trials, the National Golden Gloves, the World Golden Gloves and 2 USA National Championships. Jordan won bronze medals at the World Cup of Petroleum Countries in Russia, at the Pan Am Games Qualifier in Panama and at the USA Olympic Trials. Isiah on the other hand only made it to one National Golden Gloves tournament in 2007 and lost in the semifinals to Deontay Wilder.

In the pro ranks, Jordan Shimmell’s career has advanced more quickly than his opponent’s has. Jordan turned pro 3 years ago and has already amassed a 19-0 record and won the USBO cruiserweight championship in October 2013. Jordan has boxed against 4 opponents who had world title experience. Jordan’s 12th fight for the USBO title was against Galen Brown who had fought for the Youth World Title and his 13th fight was against Damon Reed who had fought for the World Heavyweight Title. In his 15th fight, Jordan fought Jonathon Corn who had fought for the World Middleweight title and in his 16th fight Jordan fought Epifanio Mendoza who had fought for the World Light Heavyweight Title. Jordan has won every round as a pro, 64 total rounds. Jordan has only gone the distance twice with all other fights being stopped, 16 by KO and 1 by DQ. Jordan’s pro fights have averaged just 3.37 rounds per fight. Jordan has a 84% KO ratio. Jordan has not allowed his opponent to go the distance in his last 7 fights. In comparison Isiah Thomas turned pro nearly 7 years ago and has only acquired a 14-0 record. Isiah has only stopped 6 of his opponents and he has boxed 62 rounds as a pro winning all but 4 rounds. Isiah has a 43% KO ratio and his fights have averaged 4.43 rounds per fight. Both boxers have gone the 10 round distance just once.

Jordan has boxed many of his pro fights at heavyweight and the rest at cruiserweight while Isiah has boxed mostly at or a few pounds over the light heavyweight limit. Isiah has only fought one guy who weighed over 190 & that opponent weighed just 190.5 pounds. Jordan will be the biggest guy Isiah has faced as a pro. Jordan will weigh between 195-200#. Jordan has faced many southpaws in his amateur career and a handful as a pro including his last 2 opponents plus Jordan has been in many training camps with World Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson, a southpaw, so facing southpaw Thomas will be nothing new to Jordan.